


From Debris

by SlyTheUltraNerd



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Gen, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 08:59:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5284709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlyTheUltraNerd/pseuds/SlyTheUltraNerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of World War Three, the surviving humans are now faced with deadly radiation, dwindling rations, and of course, the "monsters" that now roam the area. But what happens when one of these surviving humans meets a lonely and orphaned monster? And could these creatures hold the key for humanity's salvation? In a world full of death and hatred, one could only hope.</p>
<p>(This story contains disturbing and potentially offensive scenarios such as racism, oppression, and hate speech. Please note that this is my view on a post-apocalyptic world and not my actual beliefs.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Brave New World

"Shh. I heard something. Go check it out, Matthias."

With a grumble, Matthias reluctantly stood up from his spot near the warm bonfire to carry out his orders. He paced himself slowly towards the perimeter of the camp, submachine gun in hand, until his eyes could barely register the light emitting from the fire. He got as close as he could outside the camp, carefully scanning the immediate grassy area before shouting in the most intimidating voice he could muster, "What's the passcode!?"

The sound of leaves crunching responded to Matthias's voice and the rattling of his gun, fearfully sprinting back into the forest before the light of his headlamp could spot it. He stood there, motionless, deciphering every single minute sound with the utmost caution, and watched every single shadow until his pupils were attuned to the darkness of the night. He sighed, apparently satisfied with the area, before returning to his seat of the bonfire where the other man stood on guard, gun at the ready.

"It was nothing," Matthias said calmly before sitting down on his seat, "just some animal."

"Just some animal?" A man repeated, obviously not so relieved from the absence of gunfire from Matthias's investigation. "Don't be an idiot, Matthias! You should've opened fire at the creature, who knows what could've been?! 'Just some animal' bah! I bet that's what they said back at Charlottetown. Yeah, that's what they said, right before the monsters slaughtered them all."

Matthias shook off his partner's insults as he had heard every single one of them since he had taken the job of being a guard not even a year ago. He extended his hands, attempting to escape the winter air by the crackling warmth of the bonfire that lit the area dimly. So dim, that it was nearly impossible to see two yards past the blanket of darkness that shrouded the forest in a black veil. Only sounds were of any importance to the two guards by the fire, as the eyes tend to lie to them, mistaking the harmless and unfamiliar shadows for something much more sinister, or sometimes, the other way around.

"What happened to Charlottetown anyway, Patrick?" Matthias had heard the tale before, but only through the air as rumors from the traveling merchants that stumbled across the town of Whiskey. Even if he had listened to the merchants directly, it still wouldn't have been reliable. Exaggerated stories and hyperboles tended to swindle people more of their precious and hard-earned currency on something as useless as a brass music box, meant only to serve as a relic of the past.

Patrick cleared his throat, thinking for a moment before taking a swig of the alcohol from his silver flask. "What, you haven't heard? The monsters took Charlotteville. And all without laying a single claw or tooth or whatever on the bodies. It was the Illusionists who did it, you know, the ones about as tall as a man with red and black manes. They got through the city's border quite easily, making the guards kill themselves with their own bullets, and all without the other post letting them know. When the other guards found them in their post, they all either shot their own faces with a double barrel, or slit their throats so deep the knife nearly touched the spine."

Matthias was already regretting asking about what had happened to the ill-fated bastards at Charlottetown. With the fact that he was about to lose his dinner, every soft rustle in the forest, every single sign of movement struck fear into his heart. No longer was the warmth of the fire comfortable to him, as the harsh coldness of fear was now running through his veins. The worst part was, it was only the beginning of the tale that is the death of Charlottetown.

Patrick took another swig, now hesitant at every flickering shadow the fire created. "The creatures got into their heads, making them think that their own skin was melting in a raging firestorm, proven by all of them dousing themselves in their own canteen water before they ended their lives. I guess the pain was too much for them to handle for them, so they ended it." The man hung his head in contemplation, only moving once in a while to listen closely to the hell that lies in the forest. He wasn't usually a fearful man, but the creatures that called the abundance of green trees and tall grass home chilled him to the bone. "It then didn't take long for them to reach the city, and when they did…" he trailed off, taking another sip of the putrid smelling whiskey in his little metal flask. God knew he needed it, that is, if he was still watching over the humans after the sins they've committed.

"The men ended the children's suffering first, then their wives, then themselves. Nothing else shed their blood. Not a rat, not bandits, not even the Illusionists. All the blood that was spilled was done so by their own hands, either with guns, knives, or their own fingers. Some of them even dug into their own throats just to end it. The only thing that was unusual about the area was a small tuft of red and black fur caught in a door hinge."

Matthias was nearly trembling in his boots at that point. His body was filling up with adrenaline, making him acute to all small noises as his heart was escaping his chest. If the wind even tapped a branch with a gentle push, he would hear it. His palms became wet with sweat and he tightly clenched the tungsten trigger if his gun. No other person, not even the silver-tongued merchants with their skills in storytelling, could describe the event the way Patrick did. "You're right," he said, rubbing his hands together in a futile attempt to restore the warmth he once had. "I should've shot the thing, whatever it was."

The area was now tense as the two guardsmen did their job in fear. It didn't assure them that they were out on the fourth mile outpost, the farthest one in their entire force. No one ever got past the eighth mile in the forest, as the unknown of the area sent chills down everyone's spine. Even the most hardest bastard in all of the New World, ones who have been to the irradiated zones and killed countless monsters, would simply stop on the seventh mile nearly halfway through it, staring down the mile as far as their eyes could see before returning back to the camps, without taking their gaze off of the mile.

The very thought of approaching it, especially this late at night, was enough to plague the most heartless and sadistic thing on the planet with nightmares. Even a person who craves the unknown and adventure would not dare go past halfway the seventh mile, and those who were stupid enough to do so would never come back, and made easy meals for the monsters who truly own the forest, and perhaps, the entire country that used to be called "America".

A cry from another human, somewhere three quarters down the third mile called out to the two lone guardsmen, who clinged onto their submachine guns as if they were their only tools for safety and security. "Hey, guys!" it clamored, nearly popping the veins of the two guardsmen, "Did you two find anything?"

Matthias stood in attention, watching as three more armed men approached them. No doubt they were the reinforcements coming to join them in their nightly camp. "I did hear something, but it didn't respond to me asking it the password beside darting off. It wasn't a man, though. It sounded like it ran on four legs instead of two."

"Ha! Or it could have been three," one of the men shouted back in a hysterical manner.

Matthias shuddered. There were rumors about an entire civilization of mutated humans living in the irradiated grasslands of the midwest. Three or four legs and arms, and two heads, all living together in grotesque harmony. Thinking about that didn't really help calm his nerves, especially since he was already tense as his body allowed him to be without his limbs cramping up. The other three men had a much more calmer demeanor as they approached the camp, guns and all.

One of these men, Matthias knew as Thomas, as he was good friends with Matthias's step-father. The other men in Thomas's little gang were known as Damian, and Rick. They were all experienced, having served as guards for the town of Whiskey for nearly six years, and served on the fourth mile roadblock for four years. Yes, no one could shoot straighter, reload faster, or see farther than the "Three Musketeers of Whiskey", a title they were rather fond of, and even used it to get discounts from the sleazy, money hoarding traveling merchants that occasionally dropped by their town.

"What's wrong, Matthias? You look like you've seen a demon!" Thomas said as he perched his rear end on a log, and warmed his open palms near the orange embers of the bonfire.

Matthias shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe I did see a demon, and it scurried off back into the woods to eventually come back with others to kill us," he said, letting his vivid imagination getting the best over him. It was like him, since he was still young and impressionable.

Damian simply chuckled at his remark. "Don't go pissing your pants, kid. You don't want to shoot at demons with a cold spot between your legs," he joked.

Thomas laughed for a short while, "Don't worry, Matthias. Nothing is going to happen to us tonight, as it always has. Even the monsters know not to stick their noses, snouts, and whatever the hell they have where it hurts."

"What about the Illusionists? What if they come, what do we do then?" Matthias asked with fear swelling up in his stomach. "You must've heard what they did to Charlottetown, right?"

"Of course We've heard. Everybody heard," Rick muttered in his harsh, husky voice.

Thomas made a face of encouragement to the young Matthias, who was barely nineteen years of age. "Don't worry, Matthias, no monster will ever consider passing us, not even the Illusionists, alright?"

Damian chuckled softly. The thought of Illusionist amused him, as he believed something like that couldn't exist. Charlottetown was full of crazies anyway, and were foolish enough to get their water from a local source without filtration, so there was no doubt that they slit their own throats due to some New World sickness. "The only thing we should be worried about is the Klan."

He was not wrong about the statement. Ever since the bombs of war desecrated a once fantastic country, it was once thought that humans had finally wiped themselves off the only planet known to support their lives. But humans, as proven by centuries of disasters that befell them, were like cockroaches; you'd never truly rid them of the earth until every single last one has been squashed. And so, like rabbits, repopulation of this brave New World had begun, but it wasn't just humans sprouting back to life like withered trees after a long winter. Ideals, morals, and leaderships followed them, as most people founded their ideals based on those who came before.

The Klan, as their are commonly referred to as, where one of these lucky groups to survive the hellish landscape their ancestors created. Out of all of the groups from the southern area in America, they were the one to finally triumph over these brand new monsters that decided to make their home there.

And while they conquered the southern areas known as Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida from the monsters that appeared in the New World, another group emerged with their own ideas and morals. They called themselves the Patriots, and had there own view of resurrecting America. It didn't take long before their expansion met with the Klan's, and so, thanks to their conflicts of interests, war ensued. Another long, and bloody war that shortened the already diminishing population of the human race. Not even the end of the world could stop killings over ideology.

For two years war raged on, and for two years, no one could shift the playing field. Too many lives were lost, maybe thousands on each sides, and no progress was made. So, a compromise was made. The Klan owned the southern states, and the Patriots owned Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina. and Virginia, and a peaceful council state was created in South Carolina. In this council state, it was made clear that peace and trust was to become of these two powerful factions, however fragile it may have been. Everyone knew that the war wasn't truly over, however. Each faction sent spies on the territory, watching, waiting for a chance to strike at a weak point. Sometimes raids would happen on cities, hostages would be taken, and ransoms would be made.

So that's what Damian felt what should be more important at the moment. Their town of Whiskey sat on the edge of Tennessee, close enough to Mississippi as you could get without getting shot down for the different pigment of your skin. It would be an easy raid for the Klan, especially in the dead of night. Luckily, the guards only had one area to worry about, as the clan would never tread near the eighth mile, near the border of Arkansas.

Yes, if there was one thing everyone could agree on, is that this New World truly belong to the monsters that roamed the place. Everything from giant birds to grotesque bugs to sentient pieces peices of garbage, the monsters reigned over the petty little cockroaches called humanity. True, some of them may have been harmless, but those that were dangerous were the epitome of fear. Some could weave great firestorms capable of melting bone, others could destroy the mind, and others could simply rip throats and entrails out the old fashioned way with teeth and claws.

So you could imagine the fear Patrick showed when he heard an all too familiar rustling coming from one of the bushes again. A feeling of impending doom ran across his mind as he stood up from his spot, trembling with fear and the effects of the alcohol running in his system. "Guys," he whispered as quietly as his shaking voice could let out, "I heard something again."

The group was quick to respond, getting up to their feet to approach the mysterious sounds of the night. Again a rustle, and again, fear snuck up on the young Matthias and half drunk Patrick. Any small movement seemed to strike their nerves with a growing sense of uneasiness.

It was then that Thomas, whose heart was made of steel, decided to go and fearlessly check out the sound. He trekked into the darkness for a long while. He went so far that the others could no longer see him, as the light of the fire failed to touch him. A few minutes of silence passed. Then a few more.

It felt nearly as if hours had gone past, and Matthias's legs could barely stand the uneasy silence, as his limbs started to visibly quiver. The other Musketeers simply waited and listened to the silence with stoic expressions, calculating every move they would make if something were to go wrong.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, they all heard Thomas's voice cry out. It was not a cry of pain, or a cry of fear, but rather a cry of amusement. Laughter. Thomas returned with a small animal, gray in color with a black face, and yellow eyes with red irises. He raised it up in the air with a big grin on his face. "Ha! Here it is! Here is the deadly beast that has been stalking you! Almost as terrifying and intimidating as a little girl with a teddy bear!" he clamored, easing the tension of the other guards, especially Matthias and Patrick.

The small animal seemed to have some resemblance to a small dog, almost a newborn puppy. When Thomas brought the creature down to his chest, it mercilessly slathered his face with its tongue, eliciting a chuckle from the other Musketeers. Matthias just sat down in relief, chuckling softly at the fact that he nearly pissed his pants to a small and harmless puppy.

Thomas regrouped with the other guards at the bonfire to restore his warmth, letting the creature greet everyone by sniffing their feet and familiarizing their scents. "What kind of dog is it?" Damian asked, cautiously stroking the soft unkempt gray fur on the creature's coat.

Thomas shrugged. "Hell if I know. I actually think it could be one of the dreaded monsters that roam the area."

Rick scoffed. "Then you should put it down. The last thing we want is a whole pack of pissed off monsters."

Thomas kept his calm demeanor, ignoring his partner's comment. "It could be useful, really. At this young, we can make her a fine war dog."

Patrick scooted closer to the fire, warming up his palms after handling the freezing metal of his gun. "So what are you going to name it?"

"Her," Thomas corrected. "And I don't really know, I never thought we'd find a puppy out here," he said, petting the dog with care and respect.

Matthias thought for a moment as he warmed himself by the fire. This was the first monster he'd seen up close, and the first one he found to be friendly, but he guessed it was friendly because of its youth. "What about 'Sirius'? Isn't that like a star or something?" He remembered hearing that from somewhere. Merchants, travelers, and adventurers navigate by using the stars at night, and one of the most important ones was named Sirius. He felt the name was appropriate, as they found her in the dead of night.

Thomas chuckled. "Yeah, I like that. 'Sirius' or we could call her 'Siri' for short."

Damian nearly choked on the whiskey he was downing. "Wait, you're not really considering that, are you, Thomas?"

Thomas shrugged. "Why not? It seems fine, since Sirius is known as the Dog Star, so why not name her after that?"

Damian shook his head. "I feel sorry for your future kids, if you decide to name them something as equally stupid as that."

The group was now relatively silent, either listening to the nightly noises of the forest, telling stories of grand adventures in the wasteland, or drinking the homemade whiskey their town was famous for. Everyone had this sense of ease and safety, as they laughed at each other's tales or said something ridiculous due to the alcohol in their system. All except Matthias, of course.

This was his first night at the outermost guard post, and it didn't help his nerves that it was in the middle of the night for him. Soon, daybreak would come, and all the terrors of the night would be banished from the area, and he could return home to his step-father. Until then however, he would have to stay in the night where anything could be lurking in the shadows, plotting their demise in evil thoughts and only saw them as food for their family. But Matthias wasn't scared of the dark or the things hiding in his closet or under his bed like most people were when they were young and stupid, letting their imaginations run wild. No, it was the unknown that seemed to haunt him wherever he went. He didn't know what could be hiding in the shadows, watching the group as they laughed and drank. He didn't know if a group of Klan members were silently plotting to kidnap them when they least expected it. No, he didn't know that.

It wasn't the monsters that scared him, nor the evil that all people held in their hearts that chilled his bones, and it wasn't even the stories of unexpected deaths of men women and children that got under his skin. It was the silence, the unknown that seemed to seep into his mind and cause fear to well up inside him.

And it was this silence, it was this mystery, it was this  _darkness_ , that was truly, and utterly, terrifying.


	2. The Town of Whiskey

Sunshine. Warm, brilliant sunshine.

The night was banished, revealing the lush green forest that spanned for miles and miles. Rays of the sun's light pierced through the leaves of the tall trees, and reflected off of the morning dew that started to accumulate. The gentle winter breeze made the branches dance calmly, creating a hypnotic and tranquil movement. Twenty whole years without human industrialization worked wonders in the area. It was hard to believe that monsters actually lived in the woods. They sure picked a lovely spot to hunt down and rip a person's guts out.

Matthias could finally breath much easier now that the comforting sun was in the air, finally destroying the black veil that once shrouded the forest. No longer was that feeling of terror in his mind, no longer was he trembling. He did it! He survived his first night on the Fourth Mile! He was filled with pride, thinking about how his town would respect him for doing them such a service, and how his father would now finally see him as an adult.

Yet, despite this minor victory, he was still anxious. Not only did the small group of humans had to make the trip home first, not only were they still in dangerous territory,  _not only_  were Patrick and Damian so shitfaced that they could barely walk straight, but they also had a monster joining them in their journey home. A baby monster, to be more precise, that could still have a family that was desperately searching for their lost youngling, only to find out that it was taken by humans. Matthias didn't know too much about the monsters. No one did, but he did know that taking a child away from its mother was more than enough to screw yourself over.

He wasn't the only one, either. Rick, though he was usually silent for most of the time, started to voice his own opinion on the matter. "You are really doing this, aren't you, Thomas?" He muttered in his low, threatening voice.

Thomas shrugged, carrying the now sleeping dog in his arms. "And why not? It could be useful, you know."

Rick growled. "Did you hit your head or something while searching for that thing?" He stormed up in front of Thomas, grabbing him by the collar of his dirty shirt. "You're going to get us all killed, you dumbass!"

The little dog woke up from her slumber, appearing confused and frightened from Rick's shouting. Thomas simply sighed before stopping in his tracks. Matthias backed away from the duo, and the other drunk guards were too wasted to know what the hell was going on. "Siri was starving, cold, and terrified when I found her. Wherever her pack is, they abandoned her a long while ago."

Rick pushed Thomas threateningly, causing the little pup to growl softly. "See? You even gave it a stupid name! Do you have any idea what that  _thing_  is going to turn into when it grows up?"

"Ah shit, not again. That makes three times this week," Damian muttered, finally understanding what was happening, or more specifically, what was about to happen. It was rather common for Thomas and Rick to get into disagreements with each other. In fact, they would almost always settle their differences in fist fights that everyone in town would spectate and even placed bets on the two. And though they did get on each other's nerves, they still managed to settle it one way or another, either by blood or debate, then act like it never happened. An odd friendship, but a friendship nonetheless.

Matthias, who wanted to avoid a bloody fist fight between the two Musketeers, attempted to get in between them, but Damian was wise enough to stop him, even in his drunken state. "Trust me, kid. You do not want to get in between this."

Thomas put the pup down on the ground, who started to join the other humans and watch the two settle their argument. "Look, Rick, I know you are concerned, but think of the benefits to be gained from-" He was promptly cut off with a good punch to the face. He quickly recovered just in time to avoid another swing from Rick.

"What benefits?! That we'll have a war dog that will immediately get shot from Kla-" Thomas returned a mean punch right into Rick's nose, causing it to bleed almost instantaneously.

"Yeah! Kick his ass!" Patrick shouted, not making the situation any better. Damian just shook his head in disappointment while Matthias was unsure of what to do in this situation.

The two Musketeers threw punches almost as if they absolutely despised each other. They also tried to knock each other down on the ground to make the job easier. Only a few rules were established when they decided to brawl over arguments: no biting, no groin shots, whoever gets a knockout wins, and whoever gives up has to do the winner's bidding for a day. The matches usually lasted for about five minutes or so before one of them knocked the other out. Currently, Rick was on streak of two wins in a row.

Soon enough, Thomas and Rick both had nasty cuts on both their faces and knuckles, and the collars of their shirts started to get stained with saliva, sweat, and blood. Everyone had to admit that the two both had a tremendous amount of strength and endurance. Matthias wanted them both to stop, as he didn't want them to accidentally kill one another, but seeing how skillful they were at using their fists and feet, he decided against it.

Luckily for him, a voice interrupted their scuffle. "What the hell is going on here!" An older male voice shouted at the two. It came from an older man, probably around his early forties or so, and managed to stop the brawl simply with his voice. He was also joined by four other men, who either laughed at the two, covered their faces with their palms, or even cheered them on sarcastically.

When the two Musketeers caught sight of the man, they immediately stood in attention, and gave a salute to him. "Victor, sir! What brings out here in the forest?" Thomas asked nervously as blood started to drop from his nose. Victor was a well respected man in Whiskey's militia. Some people say that he actually served in the American Military before the world ended.

Victor scoffed. "What, you got all the smarts you barely have kicked out of you? Or do you want the Fourth Mile outpost unguarded so we can let the monsters in to take our kids?"

Thomas sighed. "Yeah, that's right."

"What I want to know is what compelled you two to act like fucking children," Victor said in an annoyed tone.

Matthias decided to explain before the others could respond. "Well, you see sir, they were arguing about this monster..." He pointed at the said monster, who tilted her head innocently as if she had nothing to do with anything.

Victor sighed. "And why are you bringing a monster to our town?" he asked calmly but with an angry undertone, like a father to a disobedient child.

Thomas wiped the blood dripping from his nose. "Well, I thought that we can use it for a war dog. She can be trained to sniff out other monsters or Klan members, then maybe rip their throats out." He glanced at the young pup, who was simply panting and staring absentmindedly back at him.

Victor shook his head. "I personally would've shot that thing long ago, but it's not my decision on what you do to that thing, that job belongs to the mayor. Just make sure it doesn't harm anybody. One scratch, and I'll put it down myself," he warned.

Thomas nodded "Yes sir. She won't harm anybody unless I tell her to." Victor looked at him suspiciously before leading his group of guards towards the Fourth Mile outpost. "Hey kid," Thomas called at Matthias, who stood in attention, "carry Siri for me, will you? I don't want her to taste human blood until the time is right."

Matthias looked at the dog again with uneasiness, who wasn't paying him any attention, and scratched the back of her ear with her hind paw. "Uh, yeah, sure," he said hesitantly. He really didn't want to do it, yet he also did not want to disobey orders. Reluctantly, he quickly lifted the creature, who squirmed in response due to the sheer speed at which he did it. He also held her away from his face, just in case. He didn't want it to bite his nose off, or gouge out his eyes, or something equally as gruesome. As the dog finally calmed down and he felt more comfortable holding it, he brought it closer to his chest, silently whispering prayers that the thing wouldn't kill him.

Without another word from anybody, they all trekked back into their hometown, Whiskey. It took about half an hour to get near the town's borders, and Matthias let out a huge breath of relief when he saw it. He was finally safe from the terrors of the forest.

Unlike other towns where people lived in crumbling motel buildings and tents, Whiskey was built from ground up around an Old World sports bar. Many of the residents lived in small metal shacks that were built simply to live and sleep in. There was nothing fantastic about them aside from the fact that they kept people safe from the rain and had a decent bed to sleep on. There were about forty simple shacks in total, with the town's mayor, Gerald Willis, living in the most decorated one. There was also the bunker, which was a larger building next to the bar that housed the soldiers. Many vendors usually came into the town with their own carts and bodyguards either just outside of town, or near the bar named Figy Pints.

Everyone but the children and crippled had a job to do in the town. From something as simple as a janitor, to something more honorable as being a soldier in the militia. With the metal shacks mainly used as a sleeping area, most, if not everyone, stayed outside for almost the entirety of the day. Because of this, the town seemed more crowded than other towns, despite only having around a hundred people living there.

When the guards returned, they were greeted by a small crowd of people welcoming them with waving hands and smiles. A bell tolled in the distance and signaled the rest of the town of their return. Matthias smiled widely, taking in the small crowd's greeting with pride. He would've waved at people he recognized, but since he was carrying a spawn of hell in his arms (at least in his mind), he did not even attempt it.

Thomas chuckled as he walked back into town. "Well, you guys go on ahead, I have to do something real quick,"

Rick nodded. "Right, I'll lead Patrick somewhere to sober up. Do whatever it is you want to, Thomas, because I want to settle our disagreement."

Thomas nodded before looking at Matthias, who was still holding the dog nervously. "You're with me for the moment, kid."

Matthias simply nodded, unable to reject orders from a superior, before they walked through the semi-crowded streets of Whiskey. Matthias recognized most of the people there, but they all payed more attention to the beloved Musketeer. Thomas simply smiled and nodded at the people who greeted him, but the younger guard was struggling to hold the monster in place, as it seemed to be uncomfortable around a lot of humans.

Eventually, they came across another shack that seemed to be important to Thomas. Before knocking on the door, he glance back at the pup and Matthias. Quickly, he placed his bag on the ground and pulled out a blanket that was normally used to extinguish fires from it. He wrapped it around the dog, and to Matthias's dismay, it started to squirm in response. Thomas quickly calmed it down by shushing sweetly and stroking it slowly. He seemed to have a good connection with it, oddly enough.

Thomas knocked on the door and patiently waited for an answer. A woman, about the same age as Thomas, opened the door and immediately smiled. "Thomas! You're..." she trailed off, staring at the Musketeer's cuts and bruises. "Oh my God, what happened to you?!"

Thomas chuckled. "Nothing serious, Hannah. Rick and I just got a little heated. Again."

Hannah shook her head in disappointment. "I will never understand you two," she muttered. "One of these days you guys are going to end up killing each other."

Despite her disappointment she still hugged Thomas lovingly. "Where's Sasha? Is she awake yet?" he asked.

Hannah broke up the hug and laughed a bit. "To an extent." Hannah went back inside for a moment and returned with a little girl beside her, no more than seven years of age.

She rubbed the tiredness from her eyes before seeing Thomas. "Daddy!" With a big smile and an excited gasp, she clasped her arms around them Musketeer, who had knelt down to return the favor.

Thomas smiled widely, embracing the little girl who had his blonde hair. "How is my little flower, huh?" He asked sweetly.

"I missed you, daddy!" Sasha said. Matthias could barely hear her as she was muffled by Thomas's chest.

Thomas chuckled. "I said I would come back. I always do." He broke up the hug to see his little girl's face. "Hey, I have something to show you. Remember when we read that book together, and you saw that doggy? And you said that you wanted to see a real one?"

Sasha nodded, unsure of what was about to happen. Thomas then stood up and took off the blanket around the pup, revealing it to Sasha and Hannah. They both gasped, one out of fear, the other out of excitement. Sasha jumped and pointed. "Look. mommy, look! A real doggy! A real doggy!"

"Yes. I see it, Sasha," Hannah said in anger.

"Can I pet it, daddy?" Sasha asked innocently.

Thomas immediately shook his head. He may have been dumb enough to actually "recruit" the monster in his little gang, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let children get close enough to touch it, let alone his own daughter. "No, not yet, Sasha. She has to be trained first, and get used to being around people."

The little girl gave a look of disappointment. "Aw, I want to pet the doggy, like in the book!"

Hannah sighed before shooting an irritated look at her husband "Sasha, why don't you go play with the other children?"

"But I want to pet the doggy."

"No, Sasha. Go out and play while I talk to your father," Hannah ordered. As soon as Sasha walked away in annoyance, it was time for Hannah to say something to her husband. "What the hell are you thinking, Thomas? First, you come back looking like you've been through hell, and then you come home with that?"

Thomas sighed. "I made her a promise, Hannah. You know I keep my promises."

Matthias backed away a little bit. Seeing disputes like this always seemed to make him uncomfortable. "Oh, so to fulfill a promise, you bring a dangerous monster in our town? Near our own home?!"

Thomas sighed. "It's not dangerous, Hannah. She's a little, lost kid. Perfectly harmless," he assured petting the creature gently.

Hannah scoffed. "Oh, so it's a 'she'?! Well, that's nice to know. Hey, maybe you should find a little male monster in case she gets lonely! And then we can have little baby monsters running around our home!" Thomas stepped back a little with a scared look on his face. His heart was made of steel, yet he looked like he was about to wet his pants thanks to his angry wife. "I hope you already gave  _her_  a name then."

Thomas scratched the back of his head nervously. "Actually, I-"

"Oh God, don't even tell me," Hannah said, putting her hand over her face. "Do you have any idea on what that thing can do?"

Thomas grabbed her shoulders, attempting to calm Hannah down a bit. "Look, I know it seems crazy, but we can really use her. Winter is already here, so we have to eventually go the caves to hunt for food, and she can help us with that. I already thought this all through."

Hannah sighed. "Did you? Did you really?"

Thomas pulled her closer, hugging her lovingly. "Yes, I have. If she does anything to harm one of ours, I'll put her down myself, okay? Trust me on this, it can really help our town."

Hannah shook her head before she embraced him back. "You are the biggest idiot in the world. You know that right?"

Thomas chuckled. "Then what does that make you?"

"A woman who was fooled by looks rather than smarts," she quipped with a smile.

Thomas gave her forehead a quick peck with his lips. "I'll take that as a compliment." He looked at Matthias, who was still paying more attention towards the dog that could bite his face off rather than the couple's small talk. "Come on, kid, let me take her now. Siri and I have some work to do. And give me that gun too before you get in trouble."

Matthias silently thanked God as he returned the dog to Thomas. "Yeah, here. Take her." He also unwrapped the submachine gun off his back to return it to him.

Thomas grabbed the dog and wrapped her in his arms, before strapping the gun on his shoulder. She did seem to be more comfortable with him than Matthias. "Tell your father that I said 'hi' when you see him."

Matthias saluted. "Yes sir!" he said formally. Thomas nodded with a smile before wandering to the bunker, where all the soldiers usually go to.

With a relieved breath, Matthias headed for the bar near the center of town. He was now a free man in terms of finishing his job as a guard for the day. He was actually quite proud of himself and he had hoped his step-father would feel the same way. He has always been their to support him ever since he was little.

Matthias never knew his real parents, as his actual hometown was burned to the ground by monsters when he was just a baby, but Linus, his step-father, did treat him well enough. Matthias thought about the look Linus was going to give him when they reunited as he traveled the crowded streets of his town.

His musings were interrupted by a loud ringing bell, which signalled more guards returning home. Excited to see his fellow partners, he stood next to the small crowd of people who had gathered to see the returning heroes. These were guards stationed at the area known as "The Winding Road", and were considered to be the best of the best, as the Road was home to a lot more exotic and terrible monsters. Matthias smiled widely when he caught sight of the men and women marching home.

It quickly faded as the grouped arrived closer to town.

Alongside the soldiers who wielded grim expressions, were people carrying stretchers covering humanoid figures in white, blood-stained sheets. The soldiers that were alive didn't fair much better. Most of them were covered in bloody rags, some were limping and struggling just to walk, and others were simply carried, unable to use their legs. Some of them had rags wrapped around their eyes, and were forced to hold someone's shoulder to navigate properly. Others had white gauze tightly wrapped tightly around bloody stumps where their limbs used to be. It was a grim and terrible sight to behold, and soon, the metallic stench of blood flooded the town, causing people to exit their homes to see what was causing the foul smell.

A woman, scarred and experienced, walked up to the pained man leading the group of people. When he noticed her, he stopped in his tracks to salute. "Commander!" he acknowledged, trying to hide his pain.

The commander took a moment to look at the sight before her. "Captain," she asked in a monotonous voice, "what happened out there?"

The captain seemed to shudder at recalling the events. The pain seemed to be getting to him, as he winced a bit when trying to speak. "The, the monsters, at- attacked us at the second mile, m'am. It w- was the Blade Bugs. They c- came out of nowhere and st- started to slaughter us." He couldn't handle the pain anymore, and broke his salute to grasp his chest.

The commander held an emotionless expression, seemingly unfazed by the captain breaking his salute. "How many casualties?"

The captain started to catch his breath. He turned for a moment to look at the mangled bodies and corpses. "Fifteen dead, the rest of us injured," he said.

Matthias was taken aback by this. At the Road, outposts usually had around twenty to twenty-five people on guard, due to the danger of the area. These were supposed to be the best of everybody; people who have killed Klan and monsters alike. Hell, the Musketeers acquired their skills from there. Yet fifteen of them were easily hunted down by monsters, and now they were too close for comfort. He felt fear at the monster's abilities, and anger for them killing the people of his town.

The commander sighed, seemingly in a sympathetic way towards the injured captain. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "You and your men get some rest, Captain. I'll see to it that the fallen get proper treatment," she said, showing a little emotion in her voice. The captain nodded before he led the remaining group down to the barracks to get patched up. The commander started to lead the ones holding the stretchers of corpses to the burning site, where they would be cremated. Buried bodies tend to attract monsters closer to the town.

The crowd started to whisper to one another, some out of sympathy, others of sorrow. Matthias heard something else however. "Some soldiers they were," a man whispered. Matthias looked at the man beside him, who was leaning in to another man's ear. He must've been a merchant of some kind, since he never looked like he had gotten even close to the town's borders. Matthias could tell, since his clothes were mostly clean, he had an unscarred face, and no dead or frightened look in his eyes. "Eat our food, drink our water, yet they can't even do their jobs correctly. Serves them right, I say."

Matthias pushed the man, obviously offended by his foul words. "What gives you the right to say that! If it wasn't for them, you wouldn't be here!"

The man, surprised by this assault, gritted his teeth in anger. When he saw that Matthias was the one to push him, his anger subsided and he simply laughed. "Look, kid, if it wasn't for  _me_ , this town wouldn't exist, so don't tell me what I'm not allowed to say! At least I can do my job like I'm supposed to. Besides, those idiots were probably drunk, they always are with their lazy asses."

Matthias clenched his fists, feeling the tempting urge to break the man's nose. Scoffing, Matthias turned around to avoid a conflict. He had already gotten into trouble that week, and he wasn't about to add assault or attempted murder to the list of things he had done wrong. He ignored the man's comments as he stormed off back home to his father's bar.

For the most part, he kept his head down and tried to calm down so he wouldn't release his anger somewhere important. People we gathered around certain parts of the town. Adults were either doing jobs such smithing jewelry, weapons, or other things with old metal, and children were playing games with each other or listening to the older residents' stories.

Eventually, Matthias reached his destination: the bar called Figy Pints. It was named after the special type of berries that grew near the town, which they fermented and made into the spicy alcohol that gave the town its name. While Mayor Willis technically owned and founded the bar, it was Matthias's step-father, who managed the place. The Mayor was even kind enough to let them both live in the bar, then again, Linus did know him for a long time. In a way, Matthias considered the Mayor as an uncle, but he usually had too many tasks to deal with to form an actual bond with him.

The familiar stench of alcohol invaded the young man's nostrils as he entered his home. It was crowded with people laughing, drinking, and telling grand or ridiculous tales to each other. Matthias usually hated the noise, especially since this was his actual home, but since he had become a guard, he now found the racket quite comforting. He quickly found his father, who was busy wiping off a shot glass with a rag behind the bar table in the center of the building. When the bartender glanced at his son, his eyes immediately brightened, and a warm smile formed on his chiseled face.

He stepped out from behind the bar to greet Matthias in a loving hug, which he gladly returned. "Everyone!" He addressed the whole bar, which went completely silent. "My son has returned from the fourth mile!"

The whole bar cheered simultaneously, lifting their glasses in the air as they did. Matthias smiled proudly. Linus placed his hands on his shoulders before leading him behind the bar with a wide smile. "How are you, my son?"

Matthias couldn't help but smile. This was probably the first time he had done something to be considered "honorable" in a long time. He was finally becoming someone in life. "I'm great, dad, thanks. How are you?"

Linus chuckled. "Well, I'm fine now. I don't think I got any sleep last night thanks to you," he pushed Matthias's shoulder with his fist. "So how was it? The Fourth Mile?"

Matthias scratched his head as his father started to resume his job whilst having a conversation with him. "Everything they said it would be: dark, cold, and terrifying."

"Really? That bad, huh?" Linus said while pouring more drinks for the customers at the bar.

Matthias shrugged. "Well, not at first. It got uncomfortable after Patrick told me what happened to Charlottetown."

Linus took a moment to talk to his son face to face, showing a saddened expression at what his son said. "Ah, right. I heard what happened to those people. Damn shame, really." He started to pour another shot, even though no one asked him to. "Right when the Patriots were about to annex them too."

He gave the shot to Matthias, who took a look at the liquid in the glass. "Wait, the Patriots were going to annex them?" he asked before swallowed the shot.

Linus made a sound of affirmation. "Yeah, they are expanding territory near here. Won't be long before they annex us either, and that means we have to switch to the dollar and pay their damn taxes." He took a shot himself. "Go ahead and call me a socialist, but I like living independent from them. I don't want them dragging us to their godforsaken war between those extremists."

Matthias simply chuckled and shook his head. He wasn't one for politics, and frankly, he didn't really care if the Patriots decided to claim their territory, as long as they weren't used for the frontline in their war. "Yeah, but at least being annexed is better than getting killed by monsters," he said.

Linus chuckled before patting his son's shoulders. "Well, that's what you here for, ain't it?"

Matthias returned the chuckle and nodded. "I guess so. 'Matthias the Soldier'. I think that name suits me well."

Linus laughed heartily. "And here I thought I was going to pass down this hole to you. Well, at least you are doing something productive!"

Matthias laughed with his father while he poured another shot for the two of them. "Be careful, old man," he said when Linus scarfed down his drink, "you don't want to be wasted on the job."

Linus gave his son an amused look. "What do you take me for, a lightweight? I've been drinking this stuff for years, and two shots sure as hell ain't enough to even get me buzzed!" He smacked Matthias on the back while he was drinking, nearly letting him choke. "It's you who should be the one worried about getting wasted. Back in the old days, you'd be underaged!"

Matthias and Linus talked to each other as they both served drinks to the patrons. Matthias told his father about his experience in the Fourth Mile with greater detail, including Patrick's take of the Illusionists, which Linus simply laughed at. "An extreme over exaggeration," he called it. It was apparent to everyone around the bar that they cared about each other greatly. It was quite amazing really, since Linus wasn't really his father, and he didn't have a mother to speak of. Yet, Matthias loved him probably more than anything.

Suddenly, a woman entered the bar along with two armed soldiers behind her back. When the people in the bar noticed her, they immediately grew silent. Matthias recognized the woman almost instantaneously. She was the commander that was talking to the injured captain who arrived earlier into town. The images of the corpses and dying soldiers flashed back into his mind, causing him to almost feel sick to his stomach.

She looked around the bar which was now eerily quiet. "I have some news for you all!" she shouted, so that everyone in the bar could hear her. "If you haven't already heard, the second mile on the Road has been ambushed by monsters, and they nearly killed everyone stationed there! In total, fifteen men were killed, and seven more were severely injured!" Everyone remained silent as she spoke, not even making a sound at this shocking information.

She continued, "Because of these casualties, we don't have the sufficient amount of soldiers we need to clear them out of the second mile, which we have reason to believe that they are nested there! So, I come here today to see if there is any volunteers willing to give their lives for the sake of everyone in town. Is there anyone here willing to stand up to these creatures?!"

There was quiet murmur in the air as people in the bar whispered to each other. One man stood up from his seat spontaneously. "I volunteer!" He shouted with a stoic expression.

Another man stood up as well. "I volunteer!"

A woman stood up from the crowd as fearlessly as the other two men. "I volunteer!"

Matthias stood and watched as people stood from their seats one by one, willing ready to sacrifice their petty lives for the sake of their home. There was a sudden urge that welled up inside him. Sure, he did fear the monsters, but something wanted his to avenge his fallen brothers. He found himself raising his hand in the air with all the others. "I volunteer!" He shouted

"Matthias, what are you doing?!" His father whispered frantically. Matthias ignored him and stared straight ahead.

Ten people, including Matthias, were either brave or stupid enough to stand from their seats and raise their arms. The commander still bore her emotionless expression as she gazed over the group. "Is that all?!" She shouted. No one else seemed to respond to her. She took a moment to look at the the volunteers, judging their strength and resolve simply by their appearances. She sighed quietly. "Alright then! Those who have volunteered will meet us by the gate no less than ten minutes from now! You will all be provided the equipment needed to purge these creatures! We will brief you once you're there!"

Most of the volunteers promptly left the bar along with the commander and her soldiers. Matthias attempted to leave as well, but was stopped by a hand grasping his arm. He turned around to see his father wield a worried expression. "Are you crazy, Matthias?! You are going to get yourself killed!"

Matthias shook off his father's hand. "I thought I was old enough to make my own decisions." He muttered.

Linus shook his head. "Not yet you're not. I wasn't fine with letting you tread on the Fourth Mile, and I am not letting you go anywhere near the Road!"

"I can handle myself, dad! I can kill those things, I know I can!"

"Can you?" Linus grabbed his son's shoulders, "And even if you can,  _should_  you? Why do you feel the need to put yourself in danger by this?"

Matthias thought for a moment. Images of those dead soldiers flashed into his mind. He could imagine them burning into ash as their children, wives, or husbands watched. He was scared, terrified even, but he wanted, no,  _needed_  to avenge them. Not for him, but for his town. For their families.

Matthias looked straight into his father's eyes. "I want to repay them."

Linus looked confused. "What?"

"I want to repay them, dad. You didn't see them coming back home in pieces, even the living soldiers. They willingly gave up their lives to protect us, so that we could be safe from those monsters." He sighed deeply. "I want to repay them by doing the same. They protected us ever since this town was founded, now I want to protect it." A small, confident smile formed on his lips. "I want to become a soldier."

Linus seemed to be in contemplation. Matthias loved him, but he wanted to grow up already and be his own man. His father had to let him have that, right? Besides, Matthias was stubborn, and almost everyone knew it. If he set his mind to do something, he got it done, now matter how long or complicated it was. He could remember when he was a young kid, somewhere around eight or nine, he wanted to grow his own Figy Berry plant. His first plant was a complete failure, not even growing a sprout. He had wasted months of his life growing a dead plant, but did he give up? No. Instead, he ended up saving scrap metal to trade to a merchant for the best fertilizer in town, and started read gardening books that he could barely understand. It took years, when he was finally thirteen, until he got his plant. It was a crappy, small plant, just barely big enough to grow one tiny berry, but he did it and he was proud of it. "Like a hungry mosquito trying to bite your face," his father used to say about him.

Linus sighed deeply before patting Matthias's shoulders once more. "Fine. If you're going to be a soldier, then I can't stop you." Matthias smiled, thankful that his old man finally came to his senses. "But, if your are to become a soldier, then you are going to need a reliable weapon."

Linus quickly reached for a locked compartment under the par and pulled out a sheath that had a gun in it. He pulled the weapon from its holster, revealing it to Matthias, who was staring at it with wide eyes. It looked like it was once a .44 magnum revolver, but it had some heavy modifications. The original handle was removed, and replaced with handle with a stock. It also had a forestock and a much longer barrel than the original gun had. If anything, it was more of a rifle than a simple hand cannon. "I bought this from a merchant a couple of years ago to use for protecting the bar, if needed. Hasn't been fired since the day it was made, so it is much more reliable than those dirty submachine guns they'll issue you." He placed the gun back into its holster, then handed it to Matthias. "Here, I want you to take it."

Matthias took the gun, almost speechless. It was a beautiful weapon indeed, shiny and new looking. Guns like that were such a rarity in the New World, and were considered to be invaluable. He wondered how much whiskey his father had to trade in order to obtain it. Linus brought out a box from the compartment. "You're also going to need these." The box had a faded American eagle painted on it, and inside were a bunch of shiny brass bullets. "A small box of fifty rounds. If these things were good enough to stop a charging bull back then, they're good enough for stopping monsters now."

Matthias hugged his father with joy. "Thank you. Thank you so much for this!"

Linus returned the hug. "Just promise me one thing. You better come home."

Matthias chuckled. "I will. I promise I'll be back home before dinner."

Linus hugged his son as tight as he could before releasing him. "Stay safe, my son."

Matthias turned around to finally leave his home. "I will. See you later, dad!" He wrapped the holster with his new gun around him, so that the stock was extending to his right shoulder. He grabbed the small bag that he used to carry supplies while he was out on guard, and stuffed the box of bullets in it. He gave one final wave to his father, then headed outside.

He immediately was greeted by the brisk breeze of the winter air and the warming rays of the sun. He already saw a couple of people heading to the gate near the Road. With a deep breath, he followed them to meet the crowd of people gathering there to wait for orders. At face value, it seemed like a simple job. All he had to do was kill a group of monsters, then return home. It should've been easy.

Little did he know about the hell that was patiently waiting for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for your time, dear reader. Please, if enjoyed it, leave a kudos or a nice comment telling me why you did! If you didn't like it, please leave a constructive comment telling me what I need to work on. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!


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